


Cyberlife's Butcher

by OhNoMyBreadsticks



Series: Bready Fills Prompts [9]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Can be read as friends or lovers, Crossover, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, M/M, Nightmares, Sharp Teeth Nines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23053228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhNoMyBreadsticks/pseuds/OhNoMyBreadsticks
Summary: Niles is a Witcher, which means he's alone. Alone and content, thank you very much.That is, until a very persistent bard manages to worm his way into his life.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900 & Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: Bready Fills Prompts [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1411321
Comments: 12
Kudos: 78





	Cyberlife's Butcher

**Author's Note:**

> This was a tumblr request for @same-sides-side-hoe, who asked for "Nines = Geralt/Gavin = Jaskier" and then gave me free reign! So here you go, my very first crossover lol. I hope you enjoy, it was very fun to write (and I couldn't resist some chompy Nines lmao)

Alone. That’s what Niles was, and that’s how he liked it. As a witcher, loneliness wasn’t something that bothered him. After all, witchers didn’t feel, right? Whether or not that was a myth, it wasn’t as if being alone wasn’t something familiar, something known. And Niles was adaptable by nature, it was how he survived so long on the Path. It was just him and his horse, travelling from town to town, collecting contracts and scars, and that suited him just fine. Not even the furtive glares and the curses spat at him could throw Niles off his balance. It was natural, after all, for people to fear a mutant such as himself. Fear was almost better as a reaction, because people who were afraid usually left him alone instead of chasing him from inns and towns. 

But here in Posada, hm, Niles had encountered the strangest creature. A human who wasn’t afraid. In fact, he was almost obnoxiously oblivious to all of Nines’ attempts at scaring him off. Usually, if the imposing black armor didn’t do the trick, a flash of his unnaturally blue eyes would send anyone stupid enough not to recognize him at first glance scurrying away. But this man, this bard in his annoyingly flashy doublet, he simply grinned when he caught sight of those eyes flashing at him. His gaze flickered next to the swords, then the ring medallion on Niles’ chest.

“Oh I know who you are!” He announced with far too much enthusiasm. “You’re the Butcher. They say you tore ten men apart with your teeth alone! Please tell me that wasn’t an exaggeration, I really need some new material for my ballads, and if I find out the dreaded Butcher  _ doesn’t _ actually have teeth that could pierce flesh I’m going to be very disappointed.”

Niles could only sit and stare, unsure of what to do in the face of such an attitude. The mention of his nickname though, that drew an unconscious reaction out of him, and he bared his teeth in a snarl as he stood abruptly. The points glinted in the dim light of the tavern, and Niles’ enhanced hearing could pick up on several patrons inhaling sharply as they caught a glimpse. Because he was a monster, after all, his teeth mangled into fangs by the potions and trials of his youth. They filled his mouth almost uncomfortably, made smiling (if he ever had reason to even try) nearly impossible, and were just another reason for people to leave him alone like he wanted.

Satisfied that he had proven his point, Niles turned to stalk out of the tavern, only to find that the bard was  _ still _ following him. And he still didn’t reek of fear, much to Niles’ continued shock. “Perfect!” The man exclaimed, “Oh you are a beauty, aren’t you? I could write a thousand ballads already!” When Niles didn’t reply, the man continued on “And I think I will, that sounds like a fantastic project. Spreading the fame of the Butcher, maybe help you get some more contracts along the way.”

He somehow weaseled his way between Niles and his horse, and looked up at him with twinkling green eyes and that crooked smirk. “The name’s Gavin. Gavin Reed, bard extraordinaire. Well, soon to be, once I establish myself as the only entertainer with insider information on yourself.” That got Niles to crook an eyebrow, and he grumbled “Your name is far too common for a bard.” Gavin simply snorted, both hands on his hips as he continued to stare without fear. “What, did you expect something more flowery? I plan to make my name heard far and wide across the Continent, origins be damned.”

And with that, Niles found himself somehow saddled with Gavin Reed, who was as determined to become famous as he was to annoy the living daylights out of one witcher. For one he never shut up, always on about some cocky bullshit story that Niles was  _ sure _ was totally made up. If the ballads he sang about ‘The Butcher and His Conquests’ were anything to go by, nothing that came out of that man’s mouth was truthful in the least. It was almost comforting, Niles found, to know that Gavin was never serious. He whined, he complained, he boasted, and he teased, but he never spoke serious words or let any emotion surface. And that was fine by the witcher. It wasn’t like he wanted a companion to travel with anyways, so he didn’t need to get to know Gavin.

And yet Gavin’s scent was honest in a way the man himself was not. Niles could tell when he was excited or truly miserable, and when he was starting to itch for a night at the nearest brothel. But he never smelled fear. At least not caused by him, of course the acrid stench came out when monsters threatened the pair of them, but never when it was just the two of them alone. Which made no sense, really, Niles couldn’t fathom why that was the case at all. He was also a monster, after all, a creature that had torn up whole humans with his maw of sharp teeth. Perhaps Gavin was simply stupid, or had a death wish.

Or at least, that’s what Niles thought until he woke up one night, half a year after that fateful day in Posada, and found the bard slowly running soothing hands through his hair. 

“You were having a nightmare.” Gavin said simply, and Niles realized that his chest was heaving with the awkward exertion of panic. Maybe it was the weakness of sleep still clinging to him, or maybe it was the soft and heady scent of worry that clouded around Gavin, but Niles found himself closing his eyes and rolling towards the bard. He needed the comfort, needed a warm body to press close to as the horrors of his time in Blaviken bubbled to the surface. He doesn’t remember how much he told Gavin, tongue loosened by guilt and shame, but in the morning neither of them spoke of it again.

The next time Gavin performed at an inn along the road, he scrapped the songs about the Butcher. It’s much more trendy, he explained with a casual shrug, to write extended metaphors right now. Thus the ‘great white wolf with sapphire eyes’ was a much better subject for his new ballads. Niles said nothing, because he knew it was a lie, but he couldn’t deny the way it felt like a weight had lifted from his chest. Perhaps his life of ‘alone’ could be modified to include one very special bard.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! This is my very first crossover so I hope it was fun to read XD
> 
> As always, I cherish any and all kudos and comments, no matter when they're left <3 I’m available on [tumblr](https://ohnomybreadsticks.tumblr.com/) if you ever feel like chatting or reading some of my lil drabbles, I’d love to see you there!


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